A RCWS is used for light and medium caliber weapons and can be installed on any type of land and sea-based vehicle. Modern military vehicles are provided with such equipment, which allow a gunner to remain in the relative protection of the vehicle. The RCWS may be installed when the vehicle is being manufactured or may be retrofitted on an existing vehicle.
A typical RCWS enables a variety of devices to be operated automatically or by remote control, including 5.56 mm, 7.62 mm, and 12.7 mm machine guns, as well as 40 mm automatic grenade launchers, 30 mm cannons, anti-tank missiles, and even observation pods. Such an RCWS is designed to be mounted on, for example, light-armored, high-mobility military vehicles and an upper surface of stationary posts, and is adapted to be operated by a gunner or vehicle commander operating under-the-deck.
Other information concerning a RCWS can be obtaining by referring for example to U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,015, U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,347, U.S. Pat. No. 7,293,493, and WO 2005/118295.
A typical RCWS is mounted with one or more barrel weapons, each of which is fed with ammunition by means of an ammunition belt consisting of a long string of cartridges fastened together and of a suitable feed mechanism, or is provided with a linkless ammunition loading system.
The orientation of a barrel is generally adjusted, for example in order to aim at a selected target, by rotating a turret assembly on top of which the RCWS is mounted. As the RCWS is of a limited volume and the turret assembly can support equipment only of a limited weight, including the RCWS, control equipment, communication equipment, and the ammunition, the amount of ammunition that can be stored in the RCWS is consequently also limited. The ammunition therefore has to be frequently replenished.
In order to access above deck equipment, such as to replenish the stock of ammunition, the combatant is endangered and dangerously exposed, for example to enemy forces, outside the confines of the vehicle and during an extended period of time.
Some weapon systems are equipped with a mechanical mechanism for the remote loading of ammunition. An enclosure in which are installed remote ammunition loading mechanisms downwardly extending from deck of the carrier vehicle into its interior, normally referred to as a “turret basket, is often used. As the ammunition quantity decreases, it is feasible to replenish the ammunition stock inside the turret basket while being located within a relatively sheltered space.
Naturally, mechanical mechanisms for the remote feeding of weapon systems are relatively cumbersome. As a consequence of the complexity of these ammunition feeding systems, the probability for the occurrence of malfunctions in their operation is increased.
The existence of such mechanical mechanisms for the remote feeding of weapon systems also mandates the necessity to allocate an otherwise free volume inside the inner space of the carrier vehicle in order to accommodate the turret basket. A substantial usable volume of the combatants' compartment would have to be reduced, even though this volume is already small and congested. It is also to be remembered that the presence of active mechanisms for advancing the belts of rounds or for rotating the turret basket presents a threat and safety danger to the combatants staying in the crammed compartment in the immediate proximity of the turret basket.
It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus for accessing above deck equipment without excessive exposure of the combatants to enemy forces, without allocating free space within the RCWS, and without reducing the available usable volume within the combatant compartment located within the inner space of the carrier vehicle.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide apparatus for accessing above deck equipment which is relatively low priced and simple to manufacture, install and operate, and which will generally not be subject to malfunctions.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.